Michigan: Making The People's Business Public

April 23, 2008 -- Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land today announced that her department is posting detailed spending information online to encourage greater openness in government.

Land's initiative marks the first time that a Michigan government agency has provided such detail on its Web site.

"Government's business is the people's business," Land said. "Taxpayers deserve full disclosure of how their dollars are used. That's why we're shining a spotlight on the department's spending. Our goal is to provide meaningful, easily accessible information in a consistent format. We're pleased to strengthen the connection between taxpayers and their government through technology."

Land is putting more than 80 pages of in-depth Fiscal Year 2007 spending information online. The information is based on standard reports prepared by all agencies. It includes comprehensive details such as payments for individual leases, contracts, employee travel, utilities and grants to local governments. All the information is typically available to taxpayers only through Freedom of Information Act requests or by wading through complex budget documentation and legislative fiscal agency reports.

The department's online report will be updated quarterly.

Land credited the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland for encouraging government to go beyond the basic requirements of right-to-know laws through its Show Michigan the Money initiative.

The Mackinac Center approached the Department of State to gauge its willingness to launch such a project.

"The Mackinac Center is performing a valuable service by working to empower taxpayers with useful knowledge about their government," Land said. "I'm proud of the Department of State's ongoing commitment to stretch every dollar while offering high-quality, efficient customer service. We hope this initiative can serve as a model of government openness."

"When we asked the Secretary of State's Office if they could ‘show us the money,' they delivered within weeks," said Ken Braun of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. "Given the complexity of its budget and mission, the department has proved that meaningful government transparency can be achieved quickly and at negligible cost."

Visit www.Michigan.gov/sos to view the data or other information about Department of State services.

Source: Michigan Secretary of State

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